“Nuestra comprensión del SARS-COV-2 y sus efectos en el cuerpo se han expandido considerablemente en los últimos años. Ahora sabemos que Covid está en el aire, extendiéndose y permaneciendo en el aire de forma similar al humo, usar mascarilla y filtración HEPA en espacios interiores es esencial para la seguridad. Sabemos que incluso una infección de leve o asintomática puede resultar en graves efectos a largo plazo para la salud y esos efectos son acumulativos sobre múltiples infecciones, lo que hace que la prevención de la infección sea increíblemente importante. Nuestras vacunas nos protegen de la mayoría de los peores resultados inmediatos, reduciendo en gran medida su probabilidad de hospitalización o muerte, pero no hacen un gran trabajo para prevenir completamente la infección, o prevenir la transmisión hacia adelante. La infección no proporciona inmunidad duradera, por lo que es posible infectarte de COVID varias veces al año. Usar mascarilla con buen sellado (no se escape los aires por los lados) y de alta calidad (mascarilla tipo FFP2 o N95)), es la mejor y más fácil manera de protegernos a nosotros mismos y a los que nos rodean de la infección, algo aún más importante para las personas embarazadas, los bebés demasiado jóvenes para vacunarse, y los niños cuyos cuerpos aún se están desarrollando.” Covid and Pregnancy, Postpartum & Childhood Health — Affirming Postpartum Doula Care & Parent Coaching

La infección por Covid-19 durante el embarazo puede dañar la placenta y al feto
De Forbes: “Un nuevo estudio publicado en The Lancet Europe ha encontrado que las infecciones por SARS-CoV-2 durante el embarazo están asociadas con lesiones placentarias por malperfusión vascular, lo que puede resultar en mayores tasas de restricción del crecimiento fetal, ruptura prematura de membranas y aborto espontáneo. También se observó daño vascular en los órganos de los fetos a través de resonancias magnéticas fetales.” SARS-CoV-2 variant-related abnormalities detected by prenatal MRI: a prospective case–control study - The Lancet Regional Health – Europe

PATOLOGÍA PLACENTARIA EN MADRES INFECTADAS CON COVID-19 Y SU IMPACTO EN EL RESULTADO DEL EMBARAZO
En un estudio de 170 mujeres que dieron a luz después de una infección confirmada por Covid, el 50% presentó anormalidades placentarias. Estas se asociaron con resultados adversos del embarazo, incluyendo un número significativamente mayor de muertes fetales (17% frente al 4%) que no podían explicarse por otros factores de riesgo. Los bebés que sobrevivieron presentaron puntajes más bajos en el test de Apgar (una medida básica de salud al nacer). The placental pathology in Coronavirus disease 2019 infected mothers and its impact on pregnancy outcome - ScienceDirect

Personas embarazadas y recientemente embarazadas tienen mayor riesgo de enfermedad grave por COVID-19
Del CDC: “Si estás embarazada o estuviste embarazada recientemente, tienes más probabilidades de enfermarte gravemente por COVID-19 en comparación con personas que no están embarazadas. El embarazo causa cambios en el cuerpo que pueden facilitar enfermarse gravemente por virus respiratorios como el que causa el COVID-19. Estos cambios pueden continuar después del embarazo. Las personas con COVID-19 durante el embarazo tienen más probabilidades de experimentar complicaciones que pueden afectar su embarazo y al bebé en desarrollo, en comparación con quienes no tienen COVID-19 durante el embarazo. Por ejemplo, el COVID-19 durante el embarazo aumenta el riesgo de parto prematuro (antes de las 37 semanas) o de muerte fetal. También puede aumentar el riesgo de otras complicaciones del embarazo. Para maximizar la protección contra las variantes y evitar posiblemente contagiar a otros, usa mascarilla en zonas interiores …”

Resultados a seis meses de bebés nacidos de personas con SARS-CoV-2 durante el embarazo
Del CDC: “Este análisis encontró que entre los bebés nacidos de personas que tuvieron COVID-19 en cualquier momento del embarazo, muy pocos dieron positivo a SARS-CoV-2 (el virus que causa el COVID-19) en sus primeros 6 meses. Sin embargo, la infección y muerte infantil fueron más comunes, y la lactancia materna fue menos frecuente, cuando la persona embarazada tuvo COVID-19 dentro de las dos semanas previas al parto. En general, las infecciones en bebés fueron más comunes entre los 15 días y los 6 meses, probablemente debido a la transmisión en el hogar o en la comunidad.” Pregnancy and infant outcomes by trimester of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in pregnancy–SET‐NET, 22 jurisdictions, January 25, 2020–December 31, 2020 - Neelam - 2023 - Birth Defects Research - Wiley Online Library

Resultados del neurodesarrollo al año en bebés de madres con prueba positiva de SARS-CoV-2 durante el embarazo
“En este estudio de cohorte de 7,772 bebés nacidos durante la pandemia de COVID-19, aquellos nacidos de las 222 madres con prueba PCR positiva para SARS-CoV-2 durante el embarazo tuvieron más probabilidades de recibir un diagnóstico de neurodesarrollo en los primeros 12 meses después del parto, incluso después de ajustar por parto prematuro. Estos hallazgos preliminares sugieren que la exposición al COVID-19 podría estar asociada con cambios en el neurodesarrollo y subrayan la necesidad de investigaciones prospectivas sobre los resultados en niños expuestos al COVID-19 en el útero.” Neurodevelopmental Outcomes at 1 Year in Infants of Mothers Who Tested Positive for SARS-CoV-2 During Pregnancy | Pediatrics | JAMA Network Open | JAMA Network

Morbilidad asociada al post-COVID-19 en niños, adolescentes y adultos: estudio de cohorte emparejado con más de 157,000 personas en Alemania
“En este estudio retrospectivo de cohorte emparejado, observamos una aparición significativa de nueva morbilidad en niños, adolescentes y adultos a través de 13 complejos de diagnóstico/síntomas predefinidos, después de la infección por COVID-19. Estos hallazgos amplían la evidencia disponible sobre condiciones post-COVID-19 en grupos de edad jóvenes y confirman hallazgos previos en adultos.” Post-COVID-19-associated morbidity in children, adolescents, and adults: A matched cohort study including more than 157,000 individuals with COVID-19 in Germany | PLOS Medicine

Secuelas postagudas del SARS-CoV-2 en niños
“Los síntomas del COVID prolongado pueden incluir dolores de cabeza, pérdida del gusto y del olfato, diarrea, dolor crónico, erupciones, confusión mental y mareos, pero también condiciones de salud más graves como problemas cardíacos y diabetes, según una revisión de investigación.” Postacute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 in Children | Pediatrics | American Academy of Pediatrics

La infección por SARS-CoV-2 debilita la respuesta de las células inmunes a la vacunación
“La infección por SARS-CoV-2 daña la respuesta de las células T CD8+, un efecto similar al observado en estudios anteriores que mostraron daño a largo plazo en el sistema inmunológico tras infecciones con virus como la hepatitis C o el VIH.” SARS-CoV-2 infection weakens immune-cell response to vaccination | National Institutes of Health (NIH)

SARS-CoV-2 detectado en heces neonatales mucho después de la infección materna
Los bebés nacieron con reservorios de SARS-CoV-2 en sus intestinos meses después de la infección materna. La presencia del virus en el intestino del bebé podría impactar significativamente el desarrollo del sistema inmunológico antes y después del nacimiento, con el potencial de aumentar la susceptibilidad a enfermedades y otros resultados peligrosos. SARS CoV-2 detected in neonatal stool remote from maternal COVID-19 during pregnancy | Pediatric Research

Los niños tienen un riesgo similar de COVID prolongado que los adultos, según estudios
Del Centro de Investigación de Enfermedades Infecciosas de la Universidad de Minnesota: “Aproximadamente un tercio de los niños y adultos tienen COVID prolongado. Aunque los niños y adolescentes tienen muchas menos muertes o consecuencias graves por infecciones de COVID-19 comparados con adultos, se sabe poco sobre los síntomas prolongados o post-COVID en este grupo de edad, es decir, síntomas que persisten por más de 12 semanas después de la infección aguda.” Más recientemente, se descubrió que 1 de cada 6 niños presenta síntomas que persisten más allá de los 3 meses.

https://autodefesasanitaria.substack.com/p/covid-pone-en-peligro-el-embarazo

❤️‍🔥😷mascarilla es cuidado comunitario

El COVID no ha terminado:
• El 50% de las infecciones son asintomáticas.
• Mínimo 10% de las infecciones acaban en COVID persistente.
• Las vacunas no evitan ni reinfecciones, ni el contagio, ni las secuelas persistentes del COVID.
• Las reinfecciones nos destrozan. No hay forma de “entrenar” el sistema inmunológico porque no es un músculo. La realidad es que no construyes tu inmunidad con infecciones repetidas, las vacunas fortalecen el sistema inmunológico enseñándole a reconocer los patógenos sin todos los riesgos. Centrarnos en la prevención de las infecciones es clave.
• Los test de antígenos dan muchos falsos negativos. Los PCR y test moleculares son los test con más precisión.
• El COVID se propaga y mueve como el humo de un cigarro, piensa en las personas de tu alrededor y en ti como personas que están todo el día fumando, se hace más visual entender cómo se mueve el COVID.
• En las infecciones con síntomas se tarda un par de días en dar los síntomas lo que quiere decir que estás por lo menos un par de días infectando sin saberlo. Eres infeccioso de COVID por lo menos 10 días.

#CovidPersistente #LlevaMascarilla #RealistaCovid #CovidSonAerosoles #birdflu #gripeaviar

#MaskUp #WearAMask #CovidRealist #CovidIsAirbone #LongCovid

"resolver la pandemia nunca estuvo en los planes del mundo capitalista, el objetivo explícito de la clase dominante ha sido hacer que la pandemia simplemente desaparezca de la percepción pública.” Let Them Eat Plague! – The Red Clarion (unity-struggle-unity.org)

there are 4 comrades in Latin America who need masks! help us so we can send them!
1. Donate directly to us through PayPal and Kofi
2. You can purchase the masks directly (send an email and we will send you the address and you can buy the masks directly from the web PPEO)
3. Share and help us fundraise if you can !
AutoDefensaSanitaria@proton.me
linktr.ee/healthselfdefense_

Masks are community care❤️‍🔥😷 free masks: maskbloc.org

• Remember: covid is not over, 50% of infections are asymptomatic, minimum 10% of infections end up in long COVID, re-infections wreck us, COVID spreads and moves like cigarette smoke, think of the people around you and you as people who are all day smoking, it becomes more visual to understand how COVID moves.
• There is no way to “train” the immune system because it is not a muscle. there is a common misconception that exposure to harmful germs strengthens the immune system. viral diseases like COVID, flu, measles weaken the immune system, leaving the possibility of lasting damage. The reality is that you don't build your immunity with repeated infections, vaccines strengthen the immune system by teaching it to recognize pathogens without all the risks. Focusing on infection prevention is key.
• Rapid antigen tests give many false negatives.
• Solving the pandemic was never in the cards for the capitalist world.
• Instead, the explicit goal of the ruling class has been to make the pandemic simply disappear from public perception. Any reminder of the existence of a highly-transmissible, highly-dangerous, mass-disabling disease could trigger panic, or worse: organized, militant labor action. Averting this crisis required a careful campaign of culture-crafting; the people themselves needed to become convinced that there was no reason to fight. Consent for protracted mass infection needed to be manufactured.

“The cold truth of the matter is that the motive behind COVID minimization is greed and social control. (…) Solving the pandemic was never in the cards for the capitalist world. Instead, the explicit goal of the ruling class has been to make the pandemic simply disappear from public perception.” Let Them Eat Plague! http://clarion.unity-struggle-unity.org/

#MaskUp #WearAMask #CovidRealist #CovidIsAirbone #LongCovid #YallMasking #DisabledLiberation #DisabilityJustice

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What are the best European or at least non-US respirators?

#CovidIsNotOver #CovidIsAirborne #KeepMasksInHealthCare #maskup #WearAMask #VaccinesPlus #covid19 #covid #SARSCov2 #DavosSafe #BringBackMasks #CovidConscious #CleanAir #CovidCautious #BoycottUSA #FFP2 #FFP3 #N95 #N99

WHY PROGRESSIVES AND LEFTISTS NEEDED TO WEAR A MASK SINCE YESTERDAY
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bl0DsT8khogQ_TOOYjBlor8TBj7N6A72dDwL2sLQRzs/edit?tab=t.0

I can now say, year four into the C19 pandemic, that I’ve had enough conversations with supposed progressives and revolutionaries about the importance of masking. Person after person, always the same talking points, always the same polite concern followed with dismissal and apathy. I am one of many who are tired of people not being honest with themselves and not committing to their claimed values. These conversations have become so repetitive, so artificial that I resort to typing my own automatic response to common talking points rather than wasting my time doing one-on-one. It should concern all anti-capitalists that, when confronted about masking and accessibility, visibly fall back on the same replies as right-wingers. While the latter may sound more crude and unapologetic, the premises are identical.

It is crucial to self-reflect on one’s own actions and whether they align with one’s values, because so many have tolerated cognitive dissonances and let them translate into material harm. Some have chosen it knowingly, which begs the question of how serious an individual is about the human rights and liberation of all peoples.

1. But we are social creatures, we have to see each other’s faces. Many essential settings don’t carry a social cost to wearing a mask, namely places like malls, grocery shops, public transit, pharmacies, movie theaters, concerts, conferences and clinics. A vast majority of activities can be carried out with a mask across the face. It makes sense to become a link in the chain to block transmission wherever possible, to protect the wellbeing of performers and workers. Any human being is vulnerable to Covid-19, some are simply more vulnerable, but this virus and its long-term effects don’t discriminate.

#MaskUp #WearAMask #CovidRealist #CovidIsAirbone #LongCovid #YallMasking #DisabledLiberation #DisabilityJustice

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Hidden COVID virus found nearly two years after infection
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/03/11/hidden-covid-virus-found-more-than-a-year-after-infection/

Pieces of the COVID virus can lurk in our blood and tissue for almost two years after the initial illness has vanished, a discovery that might offer clues to the mystery of lingering post-infection disability, according to new research from UC San Francisco. Four years after the U.S. went into lockdown, the worst of the pandemic has passed. But for people with long COVID, the illness remains a daily misery. The new research suggests why: The virus is not always fully cleared after the initial infection, so remains deeply embedded, even though people are no longer contagious. It is not yet known if these small viral proteins, called antigens, are causing long COVID. But, based on the new discovery, the UCSF team is conducting clinical trials of potential therapies that could attack the hidden pathogen.

“Long COVID patients deserve swift, accurate diagnosis and timely, effective treatment,” said Jaime Seltzer, scientific director at the nonprofit MEAction, which advocates for patients with long COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, or ME/CFS. Is the clandestine virus constantly provoking the immune system, causing symptoms? That’s one leading theory. Another possibility is that COVID triggers an autoimmune response when the body mistakenly attacks itself. Or perhaps, long after it fends off infection, the immune system fails to turn off.

#MaskUp #WearAMask #CovidRealist #CovidIsAirbone #LongCovid #YallMasking #DisabledLiberation #DisabilityJustice

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WHAT DOES COVID DO TO THE BODY?
https://www.instagram.com/thecovidcollection

fanzine of thecovidcollection

LUNGS. In 2020, one of the biggest concerns regarding COVID was its impact on the lungs. COVID pneumonia has been one of the biggest causes of death in COVID ICU patients. Many have and still are dying in the hospital on ventilators. But for those who do survive, the effect on the lungs can also be severe. For some, there is physical evidence on X-rays to show the scarring done by COVID, but due to current lack of testing for damage, many suffer from shortness of breath, chest pain, and a lingering cough without any evidence to account for their experience. Many people have experienced low blood oxygen levels, some are even on oxygen. Struggling to breathe is not only incredibly painful, but oxygen machines are often expensive and big. Our lungs are vital to every other function in our body. The true extent of the damage COVID does to our lungs may not be apparent for years, but we know enough to know that it can and does hurt our lungs

HEART. Months into the pandemic it started to become clear that COVID can affect the heart in very unexpected ways. People were showing up to the ER with heart attack symptoms, and then testing positive for COVID with no other symptoms. There is evidence that COVID causes blood clots and affects the arteries. People in their 20’s and 30’s are dying of sudden heart attacks and strokes following a COVID infection. AFIB, which is a heart condition where the heart beats out of rhythm, has been linked to COVID. Myocarditis, which is inflammation of the heart, can result due to COVID literally damaging the heart’s tissue. Stress cardiomyopathy is a heart muscle disorder that affects the heart’s ability to pump blood effectively.

NERVOUS SYSTEM. One of the most concerning aspects of COVID is its ability to completely wreck the nervous system. The nervous system is responsible for the electrical signals throughout the body, it includes hunger, thirst, temperature regulation, needing to use the bathroom, heart beat, and more. It is basically like a tree with roots extending all over the body. Many people have developed Dysautonomia and POTS as a result of COVID, both conditions that impact the nervous system. Dysautonomia affects the function of your heart, digestive tract, sweat glands, blood vessels, pupils, and sexual function. POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) is a condition where the heartbeat increases 30 to 40 beats per minute when standing up. Many people with Long COVID experience fainting spells, weakness, panic attacks, anxiety, and chest pain, which are all common symptoms of POTS. In fact, many people are misdiagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder or Panic Disorder instead.

BRAIN INFLAMMATION. Brain fog was identified pretty early on as a symptom of COVID, but many people don’t understand what “brain fog” actually is, given its seemingly innocuous name. Brain fog can be severe, and for a lot of Long COVID patients, brain fog is the most isabling of the hundreds of other symptoms they experience. Some of the more serious symptoms include forgetting how to do your job, new or worsened depression, psychosis, loss of ability to visualize your thoughts (aphantasia), severe memory loss (both short and long term), racing thoughts/new OCD, anhedonia and lack of pleasure or interest in daily activities that used to bring you joy, suicidal ideation, change in personality, and more. Many presenting with these symptoms are dismissed by doctors as purely psychiatric, despite evidence that COVID causes brain inflammation and can even cause brain lesions. There have been multiple documented suicides attributed to post COVID depression or psychosis.

Myalgic Encephalomyelytis (ME/CFS or better known as “Chronic Fatigue Syndrome”). Historically caused or triggered by a hit to the immune system, ME/CFS is one of the most painful and disabling conditions one can experience. Viruses like Epstein Barr can cause it. We know that COVID is triggering the development of ME/CFS after an infection, and some people are having their EBV or other latent viruses reawakened by the their immune system as a result of COVID. ME/CFS always significantly impacts a person’s ability to live, which can include the ability to shower, brush your teeth, or even get out of bed. Best case scenario is being able to go to the grocery store by yourself, and worst case scenario can be needing a feeding tube due to being too weak to eat. A major marker of this syndrome is “Post Exertion Malaise” (PEM), which means you experience an intense crash after engaging in some form of activity.

OVERALL EFFECT ON IMMUNE SYSTEM. COVID causes all of these conditions, which comes as no surprise when we examine the history of pandemics and viruses. EBV was recently found to potentially be the root cause of Multiple Sclerosis. HIV is a virus that can lead to AIDS. Polio caused people to develop paralysis. We are currently only at the tip of the iceberg when it comes to understanding COVID’S true effects on the body, but it is not looking good that it’s only been 4 years and we already have a wealth of evidence to show that it is very damaging. We can safely assume that COVID is bad for us, no matter your age, health status, or how active you are. Scientists have even noted its ability to kill our T-cells, which are our defensive cells, also putting us at higher risk for cancer and other diseases.

Masks are community care❤️‍🔥😷 free masks: maskbloc.org

• Remember: covid is not over, 50% of infections are asymptomatic, minimum 10% of infections end up in long COVID, re-infections wreck us, COVID spreads and moves like cigarette smoke, think of the people around you and you as people who are all day smoking, it becomes more visual to understand how COVID moves.
• There is no way to “train” the immune system because it is not a muscle. there is a common misconception that exposure to harmful germs strengthens the immune system. viral diseases like COVID, flu, measles weaken the immune system, leaving the possibility of lasting damage. The reality is that you don't build your immunity with repeated infections, vaccines strengthen the immune system by teaching it to recognize pathogens without all the risks. Focusing on infection prevention is key.
• Rapid antigen tests give many false negatives.
• Solving the pandemic was never in the cards for the capitalist world.
• Instead, the explicit goal of the ruling class has been to make the pandemic simply disappear from public perception. Any reminder of the existence of a highly-transmissible, highly-dangerous, mass-disabling disease could trigger panic, or worse: organized, militant labor action. Averting this crisis required a careful campaign of culture-crafting; the people themselves needed to become convinced that there was no reason to fight. Consent for protracted mass infection needed to be manufactured.

“The cold truth of the matter is that the motive behind COVID minimization is greed and social control. (…) Solving the pandemic was never in the cards for the capitalist world. Instead, the explicit goal of the ruling class has been to make the pandemic simply disappear from public perception.” Let Them Eat Plague! http://clarion.unity-struggle-unity.org/

#MaskUp #WearAMask #CovidRealist #CovidIsAirbone #LongCovid #YallMasking #DisabledLiberation #DisabilityJustice

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What is Long COVID?
A Beginner's Guide
https://www.thegauntlet.news/p/what-is-long-covid

Long COVID is an umbrella term that generally refers to symptoms which persist more than three months after a COVID infection. The definition of Long COVID itself has been a subject of debate and advocacy for years now; the term was first coined by patient and advocate Elisa Perego of Lombardy, who found herself struggling to recover from her acute infection in early 2020. Since then, patients have had to continually fight for recognition from the medical community, as resources initially focused heavily on the deadly acute phase of the illness.

It’s critical to note that Long COVID can affect any and all organ systems in the body. It can impact the heart, lungs, digestive system, pancreas, brain, kidneys, liver, and more. It can harm the immune system. For this reason, the damage SARS-COV-2 can leave behind in a body may seem random, strange, or hard to believe.

For instance, it may be confusing to hear that COVID is increasing heart attacks and strokes if you’ve only heard from public health guidance that SARS-COV-2 is a respiratory virus. In fact, COVID is highly vascular, attacking the blood vessels and increasing your risk of blood clots. And at this late date, there’s no excuse for the public to be under the impression that COVID solely affects the lungs; it is a deliberate decision to leave people in the dark.

so Long COVID manifests in many ways, and sometimes those effects may be more subtle and easily confused with aging or other lifestyle factors. But what about all those people demanding a “cure” for Long COVID? What are they referring to? Surely, they aren’t demanding a cure for diabetes, high cholesterol, migraines, and heart attacks? This is where the “chronic condition” part of the definition comes in. PWLC, or People with Long COVID, are people who live with a syndromic form of post-COVID disease. This form of post-viral illness may cause significant difficulty participating in day-to-day life and is often characterized by dozens of symptoms including severe fatigue, brain fog, headache, heart palpitations, tremors, memory loss, rashes, hair loss, muscle weakness, nausea and more. The symptoms each person experiences vary widely from person to person, as does severity. Patients may be homebound, they may be bedbound, or they may be able to participate in some proportion of everyday activities as normal.
About half of patients with Long COVID that presents as a syndrome meet the diagnostic criteria for ME, or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. ME, formerly called Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, is a neuro-immune disorder that can also be triggered by other illnesses, and is characterized by PEM, or post-exertional malaise. This cardinal symptom sees patients experience a worsening of symptoms following any exertion; a recent study demonstrated that mitochondrial damage may be responsible for the phenomenon.

ME and other Infection Acquired Illnesses have long been neglected by medical science. Although first believed to be a form of polio in the 1930s, the disease went on to be psychologized in the 60s and 70s and labeled “mass hysteria” because the patients were majority-women. UK writer George Monbiot has written extensively about what he calls “the greatest medical scandal of the 21st century,” the entire field’s refusal to engage with the science on ME, which has consistently shown biological abnormalities, leaving patients without treatment options for decades. In recent work conducted by NIH-funded RECOVER study, a shocking 4.5% of those infected with COVID went on to develop ME, or ME/CFS.

Masks are community care❤️‍🔥😷 free masks: maskbloc.org

• Remember: covid is not over, 50% of infections are asymptomatic, minimum 10% of infections end up in long COVID, re-infections wreck us, COVID spreads and moves like cigarette smoke, think of the people around you and you as people who are all day smoking, it becomes more visual to understand how COVID moves.
• There is no way to “train” the immune system because it is not a muscle. there is a common misconception that exposure to harmful germs strengthens the immune system. viral diseases like COVID, flu, measles weaken the immune system, leaving the possibility of lasting damage. The reality is that you don't build your immunity with repeated infections, vaccines strengthen the immune system by teaching it to recognize pathogens without all the risks. Focusing on infection prevention is key.
• Rapid antigen tests give many false negatives.
• Solving the pandemic was never in the cards for the capitalist world.
• Instead, the explicit goal of the ruling class has been to make the pandemic simply disappear from public perception. Any reminder of the existence of a highly-transmissible, highly-dangerous, mass-disabling disease could trigger panic, or worse: organized, militant labor action. Averting this crisis required a careful campaign of culture-crafting; the people themselves needed to become convinced that there was no reason to fight. Consent for protracted mass infection needed to be manufactured.

“The cold truth of the matter is that the motive behind COVID minimization is greed and social control. (…) Solving the pandemic was never in the cards for the capitalist world. Instead, the explicit goal of the ruling class has been to make the pandemic simply disappear from public perception.” Let Them Eat Plague! http://clarion.unity-struggle-unity.org/

#MaskUp #WearAMask #CovidRealist #CovidIsAirbone #LongCovid #YallMasking #DisabledLiberation #DisabilityJustice

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Selfish reasons for covid precautions
https://marzapsales.substack.com/p/selfish-reasons-for-covid-precautions

For the past few years, we’ve been told that healthy people don’t really have to worry about Covid anymore, and more vulnerable folks should make individual risk assessments to figure out if they need to protect themselves. I don’t really believe in the legitimacy of individual risk assessments for public health issues such as airborne viruses. It doesn’t really make sense to me for so many reasons. For example, it’s impossible to know exactly how “healthy” you are, even if you get regular checkups. Like I have had a symptomatic chronic illness for most of my life, but it was only officially known to me and my doctors since February. Maybe there are other health issues that I don’t know about that would make me more susceptible to things like Covid? Plus, Covid has proven to be unpredictable in how people without known health conditions (aka the young and healthy who supposedly can ignore Covid) have developed long Covid. So how do I determine the actual level of my risk?

And the main reason I don’t buy into individual risk assessment is that I don’t think we can or should think about health individually. Health and sickness isn’t created in a vacuum. It’s a product of where you live and work, what access you have to resources, and the community you are a part of. Especially when we are talking about a highly contagious, airborne virus. But lately, I have been trying to understand how my thoughts about Covid diverge from so many other peoples’. So I thought I would try a thought experiment. I am putting aside all my thoughts about interconnectedness and disability justice. I am trying to consider my individual risk factors and see if it’s still worth it to try to avoid Covid.

When the pandemic started, mainstream news mostly framed Covid as a threat to older people and sick people (and this was before I knew I was chronically ill, so I didn’t think of myself as sick). But then I started to hear stories about people in their 20s who died from Covid and they were basically healthy besides some asthma or childhood respiratory illnesses. I immediately realized that could happen to me. And then, I started to hear stories about Long Covid. Hearing about people who cough for months (or struggle with other symptoms ongoing) scared me because it is not a feeling I ever want to have again. Because of my childhood experience with illness, I am acutely aware of my vulnerability to disease and I want to do what I can to avoid getting sick.

I am going to be real with you. But let me preface this by stating that I am entirely pro-union. Despite my personal experience, I think all workers should unionize and I am in solidarity with all genuine workers’ movements. That being said, this particular job was not easy for me. There was a lot of trauma caused by this workplace towards me (and others) and for my well being, I probably should have quit earlier. But at a certain point, I was so close to vesting, that I just stuck it out. Now in order to make my sacrifices (and years of therapy) worth it, I have to live long enough to receive a lot of pension payments. I plan on living as long as possible so I can keep collecting my hard earned checks. Now we know that Covid is reducing life spans (either directly or by damage caused by infection or Long Covid), so the more I avoid Covid infections, the more likely I can spite live my long life.

Getting sick is expensive! I quite literally might not be able to afford to get Covid. I work at a bakery, where we only have 2 weeks of PTO each calendar year (no separate sick time, just 2 weeks total PTO and that’s it). This is above average in this industry where the bar is so low, it may as well be underground. I took both of my 2 weeks off in February to have my endometriosis diagnostic/excision surgery and now I have no time off anymore. But I still have my surgery bills to pay! I’m on a payment plan now and have to pay over $500 a month until next March.

Getting sick is expensive! A Covid infection can last over a week (if not multiple weeks) and each infection has a chance of rebound Covid after recovery or Long Covid. Not to mention that Covid infections can impact the immune system, which leads to more vulnerability to future Covid infections and other illnesses. So the idea of getting sick with Covid doesn’t seem financially viable to me. I cannot afford to get sick (potentially for a while or repeatedly) while I have no PTO and surgery debts hanging over my head.

Masks are community care❤️‍🔥😷 free masks: maskbloc.org

• Remember: covid is not over, 50% of infections are asymptomatic, minimum 10% of infections end up in long COVID, re-infections wreck us, COVID spreads and moves like cigarette smoke, think of the people around you and you as people who are all day smoking, it becomes more visual to understand how COVID moves.
• There is no way to “train” the immune system because it is not a muscle. there is a common misconception that exposure to harmful germs strengthens the immune system. viral diseases like COVID, flu, measles weaken the immune system, leaving the possibility of lasting damage. The reality is that you don't build your immunity with repeated infections, vaccines strengthen the immune system by teaching it to recognize pathogens without all the risks. Focusing on infection prevention is key.
• Rapid antigen tests give many false negatives.
• Solving the pandemic was never in the cards for the capitalist world.
• Instead, the explicit goal of the ruling class has been to make the pandemic simply disappear from public perception. Any reminder of the existence of a highly-transmissible, highly-dangerous, mass-disabling disease could trigger panic, or worse: organized, militant labor action. Averting this crisis required a careful campaign of culture-crafting; the people themselves needed to become convinced that there was no reason to fight. Consent for protracted mass infection needed to be manufactured.

“The cold truth of the matter is that the motive behind COVID minimization is greed and social control. (…) Solving the pandemic was never in the cards for the capitalist world. Instead, the explicit goal of the ruling class has been to make the pandemic simply disappear from public perception.” Let Them Eat Plague! http://clarion.unity-struggle-unity.org/

#MaskUp #WearAMask #CovidRealist #CovidIsAirbone #LongCovid #YallMasking #DisabledLiberation #DisabilityJustice

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As a doctor, I’m disappointed in my colleagues for ignoring Long COVID. I made a resource to educate them and the public.

https://thesicktimes.org/2024/09/03/as-a-doctor-im-disappointed-in-my-colleagues-for-ignoring-long-covid-i-made-a-resource-to-educate-them-and-the-public/

Back in early 2020, the news of the strange illness causing terrible pneumonias in China saddened me, but I believed I was safe in Canada. Within weeks, there was a reckoning: thousands were dying on my doorstep, too.

Directors of an independent living residence at the start of the pandemic asked me to become the residence’s COVID-19 advisor. They had no qualified medical staff, despite supporting elderly residents. Back in those early days, anyone with a medical qualification was commandeered to help in any way they could.

Confronted with the task of providing guidance to the nonmedical staff taking care of these residents, I decided to learn everything I could about the pandemic. At that time, about 1,000 papers were being published every month detailing research into every aspect of the coronavirus. Of course, I couldn’t read all of them, but I read as many as I could and built a breadth and depth of evidenced-based knowledge about SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19. I wrote up the protocols and during my tenure as COVID-19 Advisor for this residence, we kept COVID out. As a family physician seeing COVID-19 in my practice, I came to recognize that so many of my colleagues and patients had no idea how to keep themselves safe from the coronavirus, nor were they aware of its long-term risks. I saw the need to take action and effect change, which ultimately led me to becoming an advocate for Long COVID awareness.

Infection-associated chronic conditions do not have an established medical speciality, and are rarely taught in medical school. With the medical profession disengaged, people with Long COVID have been left to find answers for themselves. My work aims to build on support groups, which have helped establish caring communities for people with Long COVID, but have also paved the way for us as scientists and medics to change the way we conduct research in a more patient-focused way. Nevertheless, they don’t entirely fulfill the need for evidence-based information about the disease in a readable format for nonmedical individuals.

I saw a huge need for a comprehensive website that would be of use to all people with Long COVID, their caregivers, the scientists researching the disease, and the multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals that would be needed to rehabilitate them. Our organization believes that Long COVID The Answers meets those requirements. There is also a pressing need to train medical professionals so that they will acknowledge Long COVID and feel confident about diagnosing and managing it. Inspired by an interview with Dr. Ric Arseneau, an expert in managing complex chronic diseases, my team and I created a podcast series: so that medical providers can receive continuing professional development/educational credits from watching this series.

Masks are community care❤️‍🔥😷 free masks: maskbloc.org

• Remember: covid is not over, 50% of infections are asymptomatic, minimum 10% of infections end up in long COVID, re-infections wreck us, COVID spreads and moves like cigarette smoke, think of the people around you and you as people who are all day smoking, it becomes more visual to understand how COVID moves.
• There is no way to “train” the immune system because it is not a muscle. there is a common misconception that exposure to harmful germs strengthens the immune system. viral diseases like COVID, flu, measles weaken the immune system, leaving the possibility of lasting damage. The reality is that you don't build your immunity with repeated infections, vaccines strengthen the immune system by teaching it to recognize pathogens without all the risks. Focusing on infection prevention is key.
• Rapid antigen tests give many false negatives.
• Solving the pandemic was never in the cards for the capitalist world.
• Instead, the explicit goal of the ruling class has been to make the pandemic simply disappear from public perception. Any reminder of the existence of a highly-transmissible, highly-dangerous, mass-disabling disease could trigger panic, or worse: organized, militant labor action. Averting this crisis required a careful campaign of culture-crafting; the people themselves needed to become convinced that there was no reason to fight. Consent for protracted mass infection needed to be manufactured.

“The cold truth of the matter is that the motive behind COVID minimization is greed and social control. (…) Solving the pandemic was never in the cards for the capitalist world. Instead, the explicit goal of the ruling class has been to make the pandemic simply disappear from public perception.” Let Them Eat Plague! http://clarion.unity-struggle-unity.org/

#MaskUp #WearAMask #CovidRealist #CovidIsAirbone #LongCovid #YallMasking #DisabledLiberation #DisabilityJustice

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COVID IS A LABOR ISSUE
WEAR A MASK AT WORK & ON THE PICKET LINE

@rimo_skyo
ENDING THE STATE OF EMERGENCY HAS LEFT US MORE VULNERABLE THAN BEFORE On May 11, 2023, President Biden declared an end to the Public Health Emergency. But the pandemic rages on. Returning to normal is about profits, not people — it means our government no longer has to pay for public health measures proven to keep us safe; it means millions living with Long Covid, disappeared from public space while research lags, empathy wanes, and mitigations are dropped.

DIDN'T THE CDC TELL US COVID WAS MILD? It’s not. Covid is an airborne virus that attacks every organ system in the body, whether or not you experience symptoms, and no matter how mild initial symptoms are. The virus actually gets more lethal as it evolves, spreading unmitigated across our communities. Every time you’re infected, your risk of permanent damage, or Long Covid, increases. This damage might not be visible at first. But Covid causes brain damage, blood clots, strokes, heart attacks, and cancer. It’s not like the flu — scientists now understand its impact on the immune system is much more similar to HIV. And kids are just as vulnerable.

I'M NOT HIGH RISK. WHY SHOULD I CARE? Disabled people are not disposable! Our government has brushed over Covid’s serious health implications by telling us only those who are “high risk” should take precautions. (And if you’ve been previously infected, you’re now part of this category.) One in 5 cases will develop into Long Covid. Everyone should be able to safely participate in public life. Mitigating Covid is our collective responsibility. WORKERS BEAR THE BRUNT OF INFECTIONS From the beginning, our usefulness as workers has been prioritized over our lives. It was “essential” workers who were not allowed to stay home and stay safe when we needed workers to run our grocery stores, hospitals, post offices, and fields. It’s workers who are still showing up to work, only to get infected again and again, worrying about childcare and rent and bills to be paid. It is our bosses who fail to protect us!

INTERNATIONAL WORKER SOLIDARITY The pandemic knows no borders — our fight against Covid is global! Any time our labor rights advance in the US, our exploitation often gets transferred elsewhere. Colonialism is disabling — an anti-colonial worker’s movement includes preventing the global spread of a deadly and disabling virus! MASKS OFFER THE MOST EFFECTIVE MEANS OF PROTECTION, RESISTANCE, & SOLIDARITY When workers come together against our common enemy, we win! As the government continues to downplay the dangers and prevalence of Covid in our communities, masks are our most effective tool to protect against the spread of Covid. When we mask, we say no to forced infection and abandonment! And masking works best both ways. When we mask, we protect our low-wage and gig workers who clock in and out without sick pay or job protection. We mask to protect working parents, disabled workers, sex workers, immigrant workers, elders, Black and Brown, queer and trans, undocumented, contract, and not-yet-unionized workers!

MASKS PROTECT WORKERS AGAINST AN AIRBORNE VIRUS Covid travels through the air we breathe via larger droplets and smaller, invisible aerosols, which contain very tiny particles of the virus that can travel long distances on air currents. To protect against aerosol transmission, we need high-filtration masks, such as KN95, N95, or KF94 respirators. Surgical and cloth masks, while cheaper, don’t offer aerosol filtration, which makes them far less effective. Also, yes, please do keep on washing your hands, but know that airborne transmission accounts for far more cases than transmission via touch. WORKERS DESERVE HIGH FILTRATION MASKS THAT FIT Every mask fits differently. Make sure yours fits snug against your face to ensure that the air you’re breathing is being filtered through your mask. (It’s important to make sure there are no gaps for aerosols to sneak through!) If you’re not getting a good seal, you may need to try a different brand or smaller size. Any mask is better than none, but in order to protect workers and our communities, we must assert that, while our masks might be disposable, workers aren’t! Bosses must provide high-quality PPE masks for all workers!

Masks are community care❤️‍🔥😷 free masks: maskbloc.org

• Remember: covid is not over, 50% of infections are asymptomatic, minimum 10% of infections end up in long COVID, re-infections wreck us, COVID spreads and moves like cigarette smoke, think of the people around you and you as people who are all day smoking, it becomes more visual to understand how COVID moves.
• There is no way to “train” the immune system because it is not a muscle. there is a common misconception that exposure to harmful germs strengthens the immune system. viral diseases like COVID, flu, measles weaken the immune system, leaving the possibility of lasting damage. The reality is that you don't build your immunity with repeated infections, vaccines strengthen the immune system by teaching it to recognize pathogens without all the risks. Focusing on infection prevention is key.
• Rapid antigen tests give many false negatives.
• Solving the pandemic was never in the cards for the capitalist world.
• Instead, the explicit goal of the ruling class has been to make the pandemic simply disappear from public perception. Any reminder of the existence of a highly-transmissible, highly-dangerous, mass-disabling disease could trigger panic, or worse: organized, militant labor action. Averting this crisis required a careful campaign of culture-crafting; the people themselves needed to become convinced that there was no reason to fight. Consent for protracted mass infection needed to be manufactured.

“The cold truth of the matter is that the motive behind COVID minimization is greed and social control. (…) Solving the pandemic was never in the cards for the capitalist world. Instead, the explicit goal of the ruling class has been to make the pandemic simply disappear from public perception.” Let Them Eat Plague! http://clarion.unity-struggle-unity.org/

#MaskUp #WearAMask #CovidRealist #CovidIsAirbone #LongCovid #YallMasking #DisabledLiberation #DisabilityJustice

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